Adrenal function in early and metastatic breast cancer: dexamethasone suppression of plasma cortisol.
Plasma cortisol, 17-hydroxyprogesterone (17-OH-P), progesterone, FSH, LH and prolactin were determined by RIA, in 14 cancer patients without metastases aged between 40 and 74 years (6 cases of breast cancer: T123, N01, M0 and 8 with other forms of cancer). The cancer patients were investigated: (A) under basal conditions, (B) after three days' adrenal suppression by dexamethasone, 3 mg/day and (C) immediately after local radiation therapy (4500 rads). The basal mean hormonal values in these patients showed increased cortisol, decrease 17-OH-P and normal values of progesterone, FSH, LH and prolactin. Plasma cortisol was significantly reduced by adrenal suppression with a percentage reduction of 19.44 without differences between breast cancer patients and patients with other forms of cancer; adrenal suppression induced an increase of 17-OH-P only in male cancer patients. The only significant hormonal changes after local radiation therapy were increased plasma 17-OH-P values in both female and male cancer patients. A second group investigated in the present study consisted of 11 patients (6 castrated and 5 postmenopausal women) with metastatic breast cancer and presented increased plasma cortisol values, decreased 17-OH-P values, and a great scatter in the estrone values, some of them being very high.
D000311:Adrenal Glands / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000532:radiotherapy; D003907:Dexamethasone; D005260:Female; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood*; D006908:Hydroxyprogesterones / Q000097:blood; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D011374:Progesterone / Q000097:blood; D011388:Prolactin / Q000097:blood
D006908:Hydroxyprogesterones; D011374:Progesterone; D003907:Dexamethasone; D011388:Prolactin; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone; D006854:Hydrocortisone